Xiaomi updates its Mi Notebook Air with today’s best components

While the usual PC notebook players like Dell, HP, Lenovo, and others continue to refresh their own lines, some newcomers to the market are releasing their own updated models. One such company is Xiaomi, which broke into the notebook market last year with its Mi Notebook Air — at least in China.

That machine sported some nice specifications, including a choice between 13.3-inch and 12.5-inch displays, sixth-generation Intel Core processors, and Nvidia GeForce 940MX discrete graphics. Now, Xiaomi is getting set to release a new 13.3-inch version with updated components, as Liliputing reports.

Apparently, the new larger model will take on the same size and design as the previous version, meaning it will be sport a lightweight metal chassis that will come in at 2.8 pounds and 0.6 inches thick. Xiaomi offered a series of stickers for the earlier version that cover up the otherwise unadorned lid, made from leather, imitation leather, or microfiber material. We don’t have information on whether the company will continue that practice with the new model, but it seems reasonable to assume that it will.

In terms of components, the new models will upgrade to seventh-generation Intel Core i5-7200U processor and update to Nvidia’s newest Pascal-based mobile GPU, the GeForce MX150. That chip offers up to four times the performance of Intel’s integrated graphics, and significantly improved performance over the Maxwell-based 940MX. While that likely won’t make the Mi Notebook Air into a gaming system, it should help considerably with creative productivity tasks like video editing.

Other specifications include 8GB of RAM standard with the ability to upgrade to 16GB, and 128GB and 256GB SSD options. Connectivity will include two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a USB Type-C connection, HDMI, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.1. The display will be a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution panel, and it follows the typical practice today of minimizing bezel thickness to decrease the size of the chassis.

The 12.5-inch version already received an update earlier in 2017, also updating to seventh-generation Intel Core M3 processors. Pricing for the new 13.3-inch model will start at $730 in China, and while Xiaomi doesn’t sell outside of that country itself, it’s possible to buy its machines through various retailers.